Travel reviews by G family from Twickenham

"Selous Impala Camp was a wonderful start to our holiday.

The raised tents were extremely comfortable and well kitted out and it was great to overlook the river and hear all the animal noises at night. The food was healthy, tasty and well varied. We were particularly pleased that the portions were on the small side in order to avoid waste. The service was faultless at all times and our guide Ezra was unbelievably knowledgeable about the reserve. The game drives and boat trips were rewarding, if sometimes a little too long.

Unlike other parks, the Selous is very quiet and it was quite common for us not to see another vehicle, or only one or two. The downside is that the game is sometimes harder to spot, though the peaceful atmosphere in the park more than made up for this. It was lovely to refresh ourselves in the pool in the afternoon! The camp is very well managed by Barbara and the other staff, who are always on hand to answer questions and deal with any problems.

To be honest we just couldn't find any faults with Impala Camp at all!"

"Ibo Island Lodge is a beautifully restored, but not over done, colonial building which faces the sea.

Our family had one of the three buildings to ourselves so it felt very private indeed. The rooms are huge and airy and the bathrooms the biggest I have ever seen! It was lovely to sit on the veranda in the morning drinking the tea or coffee that is brought to your room. The food, served on the upper terrace or lunch in the garden, was delicious. All the staff were friendly and helpful and the service very good.

What we really liked about Ibo is that it is very much part of the community on the island. The Lodge is supporting various initiatives, such as the Silver Smithing and education, in order to help the development of the island but very much with the inclusion of the local people. The history and culture tours were both very interesting and gave a lot of insight into the present and past lives of the islanders.

It is very easy to visit the Quirimbas Islands and have little contact with the local people and we all felt that Ibo Lodge gave us this experience."

"Our Dhow Safari started with a slight change of plan as the wind had picked up but it was dealt with very efficiently by the crew and our brilliant guide Harris. The boat was very comfortable and we all loved lying on the roof to read or look at the beautiful turquoise sea and golden sands. We spotted dolphins and flying fish but sadly no turtle or whales.

We spent the first night on a long palm fringed beach and the final two on a tiny island with no inhabitants at all. They were both wonderful, peaceful locations. The tents, bedding and facilities were fairly basic but what do you expect when you are camping in remote places?!

The food was very good indeed, including grilled lobster and giant prawns, and the service from Jordan and the other boys was great. Harris was an excellent guide with a wealth of knowledge and a great sense of humour. Despite the choppy sea we did some good snorkelling with him and in better conditions I imagine it's fantastic.

The Dhow certainly added variety to our holiday and took us to some beautiful spots we wouldn't have otherwise seen."

"Quilalea Island Resort is a beautiful and very peaceful spot.

We spent the last 4 nights of our holiday here and all really relaxed and recharged. At times it's hard to imagine that there are other people staying there as the chalets are cleverly arranged to be very private and we even had our own white sand beach. At meal times the tables are moved to different locations and sometimes you can't even see other guests.

The chalets were excellent; large, airy and light with lovely, tasteful furnishings and plenty of loungers and daybeds on the terrace to relax on. The food was amazing, and in perfectly sized small portions, and the service from our waiter, Robson, and the other staff was excellent.

The snorkelling from the beach was great fun and definitely the best we did all holiday. Quilalea is very well managed but at times we found the over attentive nature of the senior staff a bit annoying when you just wanted to relax with your family in the bar and chat! Some guests clearly didn't mind this but the staff should maybe be more sensitive to those who do or don't. However, this did not detract from a wonderful and memorable stay."

"This was a great way to start the holiday after a long flight. The lodge is a short drive from the airport through some interesting villages. The children loved the pool and the abundance of monkeys in the gardens! The host, Gail, was extemely friendly and helpful. We had a very interesting walk to a local village with the guide. This gave us an insight into the lives of the people and certainly made our children think about how privileged they were. The horse riding was also fun.

The room was lovely and the food delicious, though there was maybe too much of it at lunchtime. It's a shame to waste food in such a poor country.

It's a pity that the bar doesn't stock cocktails! A minor point but the setting certainly lends itself to them!"

"The Holiday Inn was a convenient stop over for us. The rooms were fine, though we did have to change rooms the second time we were there as the A/C was not working. The service was rather slow and the food very average. There was very little atmosphere and you could have been anywhere in the world!

However, the pool was a bonus for the kids and the location at the back of the botanical gardens a plus."

"This lodge is in a lovely setting and is efficiently run. The food was delicious and the activities excellent. The children loved the pool and we all used the dive centre which is very well run.

The rooms were great and the service very attentive. Cocktails were fantastic - try the Kinasi Puntang!

We went on a nature/bird walk one morning which was very informative and well worth doing. There is a spa providing good massages."

"This lodge is in a lovely setting and is efficiently run. The food was delicious and the activities excellent. The children loved the pool and we all used the dive centre which is very well run. The rooms were great and the service very attentive. Cocktails were fantastic - try the Kinasi Puntang! We went on a nature/bird walk one morning which was very informative and well worth doing. There is a spa providing good massages."